July 6, 2001
Blacks and Whites Differ About Treatment of Blacks in America Today Two-thirds of whites say they are satisfied with the way blacks are treated, while only 39% of blacks agree
by Lydia Saad and Frank Newport
GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- With the theme "Speaking Truth to Power," the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) plans to use its upcoming annual convention, being held in New Orleans July 7-13, to address the challenges it sees facing "communities of color" nationwide. Some of these challenges are evident in a recent Gallup poll focusing on minority rights and relations.
The nationwide survey, conducted June 11-18, included larger-than-normal samples of blacks and Hispanics in order to study the views of these groups more closely than is ordinarily possible in a nationwide survey. On Tuesday, July 10 in Washington, D.C., the Gallup Organization will be releasing an expanded analysis of the state of race relations in the United States today as perceived by the people, including a new update of the Social Audit of Race Relations Between Black and White Americans. Details will be posted on gallup.com on Wednesday, July 11.
A review of the June 11-18 survey's results underscores first and foremost that a significant perceptual gap continues between the way whites view the situation for blacks in American society today and the way blacks themselves view it.
Six of 10 blacks are dissatisfied with the way people of their own race are treated by society, including 32% who are very dissatisfied and another 28% who are somewhat dissatisfied. Only 39% of blacks nationwide are satisfied, including just 8% who are very satisfied.
Contrast this with the views of white Americans. Almost two-thirds of whites -- 64% -- say they are personally satisfied with the way blacks are treated in society, while only 34% are dissatisfied.
Blacks' appraisal of their current situation in U.S. society is just slightly more negative than Hispanics' assessment of their own treatment: 45% of Hispanics are satisfied with the way Hispanics are treated in society and 54% are dissatisfied.
There is, on the other hand, no difference between whites' perceptions of Hispanics' situation in society and whites' perceptions of blacks' situation. Sixty-four percent of whites say they are satisfied with the way Hispanics are treated -- the exact percentage of whites who say they are satisfied with the way blacks are treated.
In short, the majority of whites apparently feel that the treatment of blacks and Hispanics in American society today is acceptable, while the majority of both of these latter two groups disagree.
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